EME Level Up 2024: The Digital & Hospitality Hacks You Can't Afford to Miss!

1. Booking Funnel & Meta Search Advertising

• Booking Funnel: Evaluate the ease of navigation on your site by comparing it with leading OTAs. Ensure a seamless and user-friendly experience.
• Meta Search Advertising: Leverage meta search platforms to enhance visibility and drive bookings directly from search results.

2. Leveraging Technology Tools

• PMD/Channel Managers: Integrate Property Management Systems (PMS), Channel Managers, and CRMs to streamline operations and maximise efficiency.
• Operation & Reputation Management: Utilise tools for operational management and reputation management to enhance guest experience and maintain a positive online presence.
• Booking Engines & Data Analysis: Implement advanced booking engines with multiple payment options and data analysis tools to optimise pricing and maximise revenue.

3. Marketing Campaigns & Insights

• Performance Max: Utilise Google’s Performance Max campaigns to reach a broader audience across various Google channels. Link: https://ads.google.com/home/campaigns/performance-max/
• Destination Insights: Use Google Destination Insights to monitor and analyse travel trends and consumer interests. Link: https://destinationinsights.withgoogle.com/intl/en_ALL/
• Demand Gen: Implement Google’s Demand Generation campaigns to create demand across Google’s properties. Link: https://ads.google.com/home/campaigns/demand-gen/
• Country-Specific & Interest-Specific Marketing: Tailor marketing strategies to specific countries and interests, such as wellness, adventure, and getaways, for higher effectiveness.
• Identity Marketing: Position your destination’s unique identity in your marketing efforts.
• Awareness Campaigns: Remember that awareness campaigns are at the top of the funnel and don’t necessarily lead to immediate conversions.

4. Sustainability & Market Trends

• Sustainability Practices: 75% of travellers, according to Booking.com, seek properties with sustainable practices.
• Trend Awareness: Stay informed on market trends, as they are crucial to your strategy. For example, interest from India, Australia, the Middle East, and the USA has increased by 50% year on year.
• Marketing Campaign Example: Consider successful campaigns like Thailand’s “We Travel Together” for inspiration. Link: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/reimagining-travel-thailand-tourism-after-the-covid-19-pandemic
• Gift Certificates: Understand that only 50% of gift certificates are redeemed, meaning you’re selling value, not just room nights.

5. Digital & Social Media Strategy

• Digital Marketing: “Fish where the fish are”—focus on digital channels.
• Unlearning & Relearning: Be open to unlearning outdated practices and embracing new ones.
• Public Holidays: Pay attention to the public holidays in key markets, as they can significantly impact travel patterns.
• Multi-Channel & Multi-Language: Tailor your campaigns to each market’s preferred social media platforms and search engines. High localisation of ads is crucial.
• Direct Campaigns: Funnel all campaigns to your website to drive direct bookings.
• Gen Z Engagement: Use all possible connections, including video, AR, VR, polls, and filters, as Gen Z loves interactive campaigns.

6. Budget Allocation & Goal Setting

• Budgeting: Allocate your budget wisely: 70% for ROI-driven campaigns, 20% for awareness, and 10% for new initiatives.
• Goal Setting: Clearly define your campaign goals—whether for awareness or conversion—before starting. The budgets and approaches for each are vastly different.

7. Property Enhancements & User Experience

• Instagrammable Spots: Create visually appealing spots at your property to encourage guests to share on social media.
• 5W & 2H Questions: Ensure your site answers the fundamental questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, and How much.
• Long Guides: Develop detailed guides as part of your content strategy.
• “Why” Content: Write content that answers the “why” to resonate with your audience.

8. Local Listings & PR Strategies

• Local Listing Optimisation: Optimise your presence on local listings.
• Paid Content & PR Submissions: Invest in paid content submissions on high-domain authority pages and paid PR submissions for broader reach.

9. Data-Driven Marketing

• Data-Driven Articles: Write articles with compelling stats and data, making them quotable by other sources.
• Zero Click Searches: Optimise content for zero-click searches, where users get their answers directly from search snippets.
• Business Intelligence Platforms: Integrate your data sources using business intelligence platforms for a holistic view of your user persona.
• Mobile Optimisation: Optimise your site and services for mobile, as 70% of users use mobile devices for travel activities.

10. Creativity & Guest Experience

• Personalisation + Experience + Now: Offer creative services like caricature drawings, holiday reels, or paintings that guests can purchase during their stay.
• Creative Touchpoints: Add creativity to as many touchpoints as possible, from shop-booking to pre-stay, in-stay, and post-stay experiences.
• Revenue Opportunities: Explore retailing opportunities within your hospitality business.
• Unique Services: Offer unique, culturally relevant services, such as Anantara Siam’s in-room bamboo tattooing service, to differentiate your property.

eMarkertingEye Case Studies : https://www.emarketingeye.com/our-work/case-studies.html

Cheers!

Liswith